Hockey Skates or Figure Skates for Beginners: Which is Better?

As a beginner, what are you interested in? Hockey or Figure Skating? If you are a lover of Hockey, you must keep in mind that hockey skates can give you more speed. You can turn more quickly and can stop faster than with figure skates.

On the other hand, Figure skates are suitable for learning the basics and for better jumping and spinning with the skates.

In another way, we can say that whatever the skate is, you need to learn the basic skills like balancing, posture, stopping, stroking first as a beginner skater. Let’s dig deeper below:

Advantages of Figure Skates and Hockey Skates

Figure Skates	Hockey Skates
A relatively Longer Blade helps in carving better arcs and perfect lines.	The skate’s lighter weight can create a more slippery surface, while the heavy material of the boot provides good protection
The boot remains tight but flexible that supports the ankle and gives flexibility while jumping.	Hockey skaters find it easier to move and stop with how light their skate feels on their feet.  Hockey skate blades are more curved on both ends, which helps with turning.
Toe picks help in jumping and overall balancing. Toe picks help to stop quickly and the tail helps to lean too far on the back.	Hockey skates are designed and shaped to perform a variety of different maneuvers including starting fast, accelerating quickly, stopping fast and even scraping against the ice. The puck goes all over the place, then you can turn so quickly with the skates.
The shapes of figure skates help in jumps, axel and lutz. It also allows quick turns (rocker, twizzles) and spins.	The shape of the blades on a hockey skate allow for easier turning while providing better balance if you’re playing another sport on ice.

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Here are more details below:

Fast Skating

For faster skating, hockey skates are perfect as the skates have shorter and curved blades. The curved blade can generate power faster which may help in faster skating. But, for doing this, you need to learn better balancing of your skates which may take a longer time.

On the other side, figure skates have a longer and straighter blade that may help better with balance. So, as a beginner, you can start with figure skates first. Once you learn the basics of skating and balancing, go for hockey skates.

Toe Picks

Figure skates do have toe picks attached that help figure skaters to execute tricks, jumps and lands in an easy way. It helps in balancing as well. That’s why beginner skaters choose figure skates rather than hockey skates which don’t have toe picks.

Figure Skating Boot vs Hockey Skating Boot

Figure skating boots are lightweight and have a flexible sole, which allows skaters to get into a deep lunge position. Hockey skate boots are heavier and have more support, making them better for athletes who need to move quickly on the ice.

Moreover, figure skating boots have a small outer heel that provides extra comfort, as well as a wooden sole inside. They are light, short, and thin when compared to hockey skates. Also, they’re designed to perform quick but precise moves when playing ice hockey.

Ice Hockey Boots

Ice hockey boots serve a different purpose than ice figure skating boots; they are meant only to provide good support for the feet, not to make standing up easy. Hockey boots can be higher in height and thicker, with foam padding in key areas to protect against collisions with other hockey players and hits from hockey sticks and pucks. Overall, they’re designed to withstand a variety of pressures.

According to the types of both the boots, I would choose figure skates first, get used to starting, walking, standing, and balancing first, then I would move into hockey-playing which seems to be more fast and furious.

Hockey Skating Blade vs Figure Skating Blade

• Hockey skates blades are generally narrower and deeper to allow for players to move quickly.
• The blades are curved at the back and front and don’t extend beyond the length of your foot.
• They are better-rounded and have fewer jagged edges.
• They are much lighter than ice skating blades because they’re smaller.
• The blade is fixed to the boot by a piece of hard plastic called tuuk.

Figure Skating Blade

In figure skating, skaters rely on a toe pick that can be seen under their skate blade to perform various stunts and tricks. The serrated edge of the toe pick aids in the skater’s ability to jump, spin, and stop.

Figure skating blades are different from hockey blades in a bunch of ways. They’re longer and wider, and provide a surface for the blade to actually touch the ice. These blades attach to a boot with two plates: a heel plate and a toe plate.

Why choose Figure Skates for Beginners?

Besides having toe picks, figure skates are much lighter than hockey skates and are also easier to skate in. That makes it friendly enough for beginners to learn quickly.

Besides, you can easily move your feet with figure skates if you know what size to get. Even if you skate for a long period of time, you don’t need to strain your foot too much which is desired by beginners at the first stage of their skating.

Why choose Hockey Skates for Beginners?

As a beginner, if you know the skills of skating by just knowing how to stand on skates, walk confidently, and have good balance then recreational type hockey skates are the best. Hockey skates are faster, more flexible than figure skates and can be more supportive for your foot which will become slippy enough for you to skate easier.

Hockey skates are better for beginners because they are easier to learn how to skate on. They have a wider blade and the blades are softer which makes it easier for the skater to balance on them. Figure skates have a narrower blade and harder blade, making it harder for beginners to balance on them.

Read also: Other few types of Skates

Final Words

So, If you just want to hit the surface and have some fun, any type of skate (Figure or Hockey) will work.

If you or your child is interested in figure skating, it’s helpful to start with figure skates. If you want to play hockey, it might be more convenient to purchase a pair of hockey skates since they are often less expensive. 

And even if you are an adult beginner, don’t be ashamed by starting with children’s skates-it may not seem as exhilarating as some other sports but it provides a solid foundation on which to build.